Shania Twain: 10 Prime Hits

To her loyal fans, Shania Twain is still the one. In 2011, she stepped back into the spotlight with a handsome new husband, a revealing autobiography and plans for a dazzling Las Vegas show that begins in December 2012.

One of the biggest country superstars of the 1990s, Twain’s upbeat tunes and memorable ballads still get us every time. Here are 10 of our favorites, chosen by the CMT.com staff.

“Any Man of Mine”
When I think Shania Twain, I think girl power. But not the revenge-getting, soak-it-in-kerosene kind. It’s more of a confident, do-this-or-I’ll-leave you type of girl power. Twain’s album, The Woman in Me, was a staple in my mom’s music collection, and I was 6 years old when “Any Man of Mine” became Twain’s first No. 1 hit in 1995. To this day, I remember listening to that song in the minivan on the way to school in the mornings, as well as the little crush I had on the Canadian singer. — Brian Rogala

“From This Moment On”
Oh, how I wish I could’ve been in the room when Twain and her now ex-husband Mutt Lange wrote “From This Moment On.” It’s as if they made a list of all the heartfelt ways to say “I love you,” and then set them to music and made them all rhyme. If you just glanced at the lyrics, this power ballad might seem to be heavy on the ol’ love clichés: “Life has begun.” “You’re the reason I believe in love.” “Right beside you is where I belong.” “You and I will never be apart.” “I live only for your happiness.” But her voice, and all those strings in the bridge, made it come alive. Had I not already been married in 1998, this would’ve been the perfect wedding song. Although Twain and Lange’s marriage didn’t live up to the tune’s promises, it is still, for me, the epitome of a country love song. — Alison Bonaguro

“Honey, I’m Home”
Maybe it’s weird, but I like “Honey, I’m Home” because it’s for the ladies. And by that, I mean the usual story of “man comes home, needs beer” becomes “woman works her tail off while also juggling many things that no man has to, comes home and needs a beer, a foot massage and the remote.” I can appreciate that. The hell-raising woman image has its place, but let’s be honest: Nobody is that angry all the time. (Right??) Twain provides a little stress relief in the process by playfully mixing country with ’80s arena rock. Sorry, guys, you work plenty hard, too, and I know I’m taking a swing for the wrong team, but tonight you’re on kitchen detail. — Chris Parton

“(If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here!”
As a beautiful woman who paid her dues in local bars, it’s easy to believe Shania heard every pickup line in the book. As a result, she’s pretty convincing (and sassy) in the opening lines of this No. 1 hit from 1996. No, she wasn’t a star in the backseat of a car — or anywhere else for that matter — when she wrote and recorded this song, but this throbbing, sexy smash proved she had staying power. As the follow-up single to “Any Man of Mine,” she gave more props to those women who play hard to get. Considering how it all turned out, it’s fitting that the last thing you hear are high-heeled footsteps marching through a slamming door. — Craig Shelburne

“Love Gets Me Every Time”
Twain’s 1993 self-titled debut album didn’t sell that well initially and was no indication whatsoever of what was to come. When Mercury Nashville was preparing to release the follow-up, The Woman in Me, in 1995, certain individuals on Music Row were aghast that Mutt Lange had produced it. After all, with Lange’s background as producer of major hits for AC/DC and Def Leppard, the so-called logic was that he didn’t know anything about making a country record. I remember thinking, “Well, maybe he doesn’t have a background in making country records, but he sure as hell knows how to make commercial-sounding ones.” Admittedly, it could have gone either way, and I certainly didn’t predict The Woman in Me would eventually sell more than 10 million copies. The formula Twain and Lange masterminded continued in full form on “Love Gets Me Every Time.” It became her biggest radio hit, spending five weeks at the top of Billboard’s country chart in 1997. Fiddles and steel guitar are prominent in the mix, and you have to smile a little when Twain repeatedly declares, “I gol’ darn gone and done it.” — Calvin Gilbert

“Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”
Getting ready to go out for a hell-raising time, is there any better song to start a Friday night than “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”? Though I’m originally from Michigan, this Grammy-winning song brings out my best Southern qualities for a really-go-wild, doing-it-in-style, country good time. Shania even took the pain out of girls’ usual conferences of “what should I wear tonight” by providing a simple answer: men’s shirts and short skirts. Genius. The best thing about being a man might be that you spend less time getting dressed and ready. But as Shania sings, the best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun. — Kay Savage

“No One Needs to Know”
I’ve appreciated “No One Needs to Know” for years. Perhaps because I’m a Scorpio, I prefer to keep a little mystery in life, especially when it comes to romance. Whether it’s simply a crush or a long-term relationship, it’s more meaningful to me to keep sweet moments private and not broadcast them to everybody and their grandmother. And in this song, Twain is quite smitten with the object of her affection, even singing of their wedding, the birth of their children and their future pet of choice — which always makes me smile. The hit was on the Twister soundtrack and became Twain’s third consecutive No. 1 single. — Stephanie Pendergrass

“Party for Two” (With Billy Currington)
After hitting Lower Broadway in Nashville one night for some honky-tonkin’ with my friends, we made our way to Lonnie’s Karaoke Bar in Printer’s Alley. After convincing my now-husband to perform a duet for all the lovely patrons at the bar, I signed us up for “Party for Two.” Confidently (and probably due to a few shots of courage), I belted out every word, with dance moves. I glanced over at my partner as I belted, “I’M HAVING A PARTY!” Unbeknownst to me, he hadn’t sung a lick and simply replied, “I don’t think I can come” as he awkwardly squinted to read the words on the screen. Needless to say, we were booed from the stage. Perhaps Twain’s songs should be left to the one and only. — Whitney Self

“You Win My Love”
In this peppy song, Shania won my love when she breathlessly referred to her “classy little chassis.” If you typed out all the lyrics, it would surely sound pretty silly. (A cool Cadillac with a Jacuzzi in the back!?) Yet when this flirty song topped the charts in 1996, she had all her fans driving faster and singing along at the top of their lungs. Come on, whooo! — Craig Shelburne

“You’re Still the One”
Criticism of Shania’s romantic relationship with producer Mutt Lange inspired her to co-write “You’re Still the One,” and the sultry love tune became one of her biggest hits. The song was her breakthrough hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and the simple, undeniably catchy lyrics helped it maintain one of the longest runs at No. 2 in the chart’s history. With its classic theme of holding onto love despite the odds, the opening lyric of “I’m so glad we made it/Look how far we’ve come, my baby” set the tone for one of the most memorable country love ballads of the ’90s. — Brian Rogala